Who Knew? The Connection Between the European Union Flag and Christianity

Buried deep in an NYT report on the Pope:

[T]he European's Union flag-a circle of 12 yellow stars on a blue background-has a coded Christian message. Arsne Heitz, a French Catholic, who designed the flag in 1955, originally for the Council of Europe, drew inspiration from Christian iconography of the Virgin Mary wearing a crown with 12 stars. But the official accounts of the flag make no reference to this.

(paper edition 11-26-2014)

-RW